Chancellor’s Update

Recruitment of future UTC students is an essential function for everyone on campus.  When you see a prospective student or a parent walking around carrying one of our UTC yellow bags, please say Hi and welcome them to campus.  We are all ambassadors of UTC, and goodwill goes a long way.

This Saturday (November 5), the Undergraduate Admissions Office will host its largest campus recruitment event of the year, the annual Blue and Gold Preview Day for prospective students and their families.  More than 1,000 people are registered for the event—which includes a campus tour, an academic department fair, a student organization showcase and a residence hall open house.

Next Friday (November 11) is Veterans Day.  UTC takes great pride in being a Veteran-friendly campus; with approximately 400 veterans, military-affiliated students, spouses and dependents of veterans enrolled here, we are incredibly fortunate to have a vibrant military community on campus.  Thank you for your service!  I encourage everyone to participate in the special activities taking place.

• At 9:45 a.m., trumpet players—including students, faculty, staff and community members—will participate in the TAPS Project, performing “Taps” in sequence around the UTC campus.
• At 11 a.m., the University is hosting a special Veterans Day Luncheon for all students, faculty and staff who are veterans or active military. UC Foundation Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Don Reising, who served in the U.S. Army from 1995-1999 and the Ohio Army National Guard from 1999-2005, will be the keynote speaker.
• From 2-6 p.m., UTC Veteran and Military Affairs will host Veterans Day food trucks on campus. All are welcome to attend.

Congratulations to our School of Nursing!  RegisteredNursing.org, a national nursing advocacy organization, ranked the Registered Nurse program as the best in Tennessee for 2023.  EduMed.org listed UTC as the fifth-best school in Tennessee for online healthcare degrees and certificates for 2023.  A big round of applause to Dr. Chris Smith and the outstanding students, faculty and staff in our Nursing Program.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Greg O’Dea on winning the National Collegiate Honors Council’s 2022 Sam Schuman Award for Excellence at a Four-Year Institution.  The award presentation takes place at the NCHC’s 57th annual conference this weekend in Dallas.  Dr. O’Dea recently returned to teaching full-time after spending 25 years as part of the honors program’s administration.

Congratulations to the Mocs soccer team on a historic season, including the program’s first Southern Conference regular-season title.  Coach Gavin McKinney was named the SoCon’s Coach of the Year, and senior Maggie Shaw was selected as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.  What tremendous honors for the team, Gavin and Maggie!

A big “GO MOCS” to three UTC teams getting ready to start their seasons.  Coach Kyle Ruschell’s UTC wrestlers open the campaign on Saturday (November 5) at the Battle in the River City in Jacksonville, Florida, with matches against Wisconsin, Buffalo and Little Rock.  The women’s basketball team, coached by Shawn Poppie, tips off this Monday (November 7) with a 7 p.m. home contest against Young Harris at McKenzie Arena.  The men’s basketball team, led by Dan Earl, also begins the season on Monday at College of Charleston, then plays its first home game next Thursday (November 10) vs. Oakland City.

It will be a tremendous honor to attend the Dr. Roland Carter Street Dedication tomorrow (November 4).  Vine Street, the road in front of the Fine Arts Center, will be officially renamed to honor Dr. Carter, who retired from UTC in 2013 after 23 years on the faculty.  He conducted the first concert of the African American Music Series at Carnegie Hall and is the founder and CEO of Mar-Vel, a publishing company specializing in African American musical traditions.

Daylight saving time ends this Sunday (November 6).  Turn your watches and clocks backward one hour at 2 a.m., giving us additional light in the morning and the added benefit of an extra hour of sleep!